Fishing the North Coast: The perfect end to a perfect season

It was the perfect end to a perfect season. Ocean salmon anglers looking to get one last shot on Sunday were greeted with weather that only required t-shirts, sunglasses, and a healthy dose of sunscreen. Oh, the fishing wasn't too shabby either. Charter and sport boats alike reported another phenomenal day of fishing. Gary Blasi of Full Throttle Sportfishing had limits for his clients by 8 a.m. Tim Klassen, who skippers Reel Steel Sport Fishing, found a school of bigger fish and was headed back to the docks by 10 a.m. A very fitting end to one of the best, if not the best, sport seasons on record.

And now the salmon action will shift to the Klamath River, where the run is still going strong as we head into the heart of the fall season. According to Sara Borok, an Environmental Scientist on the Klamath River, over 5,000 Chinook (adults and jacks) have been harvested below the 96 bridge in Weitchepec as of Sunday. "We're seeing a really good return of three-year old salmon, which really bodes well for next year as not all will enter the river this year. We're also seeing a good number of jacks being harvested. Roughly the same amounts have been caught as this time last year, but the amount of angling hours is just about double that of last year, Borok added.

Weekend marine forecast

The forecast looks promising through the weekend, with Thursday and Friday looking like the best days. Out 10 nautical miles, light winds are predicted for Friday, with swells to four feet and one-foot wind waves. Saturday winds are predicted to blow 7 to 9 knots out of the northwest with five-foot swells and one to two-foot wind waves. The swells are forecasted to increase Sunday to six feet with two-foot wind waves. For up-to-date weather forecasts, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/. You can also call the National Weather Service at (707) 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at (707) 443-6484.

Tuna out of Eureka

According to Klassen, a patch of warm water is sitting 25 miles off the Eel River and a few boats will be making the run out of Eureka. The weather looks doable for Friday as well.

2012 Chetco River recreational season

The 2012 Chetco River fall Chinook State Waters Terminal Area Recreational Season will be open from October 1 through 14. The fishable area is within three nautical miles of shore between Twin Rocks and the Oregon/California border. The bag limit is one Chinook per day and five for the season. Minimum length is 24 inches. Terminal tackle is limited to no more than two single point barbless hooks. For more information, visit www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/salmon.

Stripers in the Trinity

A striped bass was reportedly caught in a tribal gillnet on August 18 near Hoopa. More than likely the bass strayed from a Central Valley river, where there were introduced over 100 years ago. For more information on the catch, visit www.tworiverstribune.com/2012/09/oh-boy-bass.

Pacific Outfitter's Trinidad Rockfish Wars II coming in October

The second annual Trinidad Rockfish Wars Kayak Fishing Tournament will take place on Saturday, October 13. The cost is $25 per person and teams consist of two people. There will be a safety meeting at 5 p.m. at Eureka's Pacific Outfitters where participants can check in and ask questions. The event runs from dawn until 2 p.m. on Saturday and all fish must be recorded by 3 p.m. A rewards potluck will follow at 6 p.m. where prizes will be given to first, second, and third place finishers. For more info, visit http://pacificoutfitters.com/event/trinidad-rockfish-wars.

The Oceans:

Eureka

No sooner did the sport salmon season come to a close, the ocean lumped up and kept the boats tied to the dock for three days - and I doubt if anyone was complaining. A three-day break was just what the doctor ordered - a little time to relax and reflect on the salmon year that was. Thursday, it will be back to work as tuna, rockfish, and halibut will all be on the menu. Gary Blasi of Full Throttle Sport Fishing will be running rockfish or halibut trips through Saturday and will then be running a few trips here and there. Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing plans to fish through October, when both the rockfish and halibut seasons close. Klassen is planning a run to the Cape on Thursday in search of rockfish, while Blasi will be targeting halibut. A small fleet of sport boats will be running west off of the Eel River in search of tuna.

Shelter Cove

With no tractor launch on Mondays or Tuesdays, it's been pretty quiet reports Russ Thomas of Mario's Marina in Shelter Cove. "We had a couple self-launchers on Wednesday and I heard of one salmon caught. With the warm water close, I'd expect a few boats will be running for tuna," Thomas added

Crescent City

Craig Strickhouser of Tally Ho Sportfishing reports a steady rockfish bite out of Crescent City. "We were off the water on Monday and Tuesday due to rough seas, but were back at it Wednesday. The bite was a little slower, probably due to the south wind churning up the ocean floor. Aside from Wednesday, we've been able to get limits daily, with the better fishing happing to the north. The lingcod bite has been excellent and we landed some real big ones over the weekend, including a 41-pounder," Strickhouser added.

The Rivers:

Lower Klamath

There's fish everywhere, but the bite was a little tougher on Wednesday reports Alan Borges of Alan's Guide Service. "I'm not sure why the bite was off because there were fish rolling in every hole. Overall, there are still lots of adults being landed every day, with most in the 12-15-pound range. The bite should continue to be red hot as a bunch of fish came through the mouth on Tuesday evening. There haven't been many jacks in the upper river the last few days, but I heard a pretty good school was in the lower river on Tuesday. Red colored roe with a Fish Pill continues to be the best producer," Borges added.

Trinity

Tim Brady of Weaverville's Trinity Outdoors reports the bulk of the new fish are spread out between the North Fork and Cedar Flat. "Most of the action has come from bank fishermen throwing Blue Fox and Panther Martin spinners, but a few are coming on roe too. There's also quite a few steelhead mixed in with the salmon," Brady added.

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